Developing a Broadly Applicable Measure of Risk Perception

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23334335
AutoresRobyn S Wilson (0000-0002-0092-9632, School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA, autor de correspondencia), Adam Zwickle (0000-0001-7113-993X, Department of Community Sustainability Environmental Science & Policy Program School of Criminal Justice Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA), Hugh Walpole (0000-0001-5224-7601, School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus OH USA)
Año2019
Volumen39
Número4
Páginas777-791
Fecha de publicación2019-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaRisk Analysis (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0272-4332 • E-ISSN: 1539-6924
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/risa.13207
PMID30278115
OpenAlexW2894618776
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas95
Referencias citadas54

Decades of research identify risk perception as a largely intuitive and affective construct, in contrast to the more deliberative assessments of probability and consequences that form the foundation of risk assessment. However, a review of the literature reveals that many of the risk perception measures employed in survey research with human subjects are either generic in nature, not capturing any particular affective, probabilistic, or consequential dimension of risk; or focused solely on judgments of probability. The goal of this research was to assess a multidimensional measure of risk perception across multiple hazards to identify a measure that will be broadly useful for assessing perceived risk moving forward. Our results support the idea of risk perception being multidimensional, but largely a function of individual affective reactions to the hazard. We also find that our measure of risk perception holds across multiple types of hazards, ranging from those that are behavioral in nature (e.g., health and safety behaviors), to those that are technological (e.g., pollution), or natural (e.g., extreme weather). We suggest that a general, unidimensional measure of risk may accurately capture one's perception of the severity of the consequences, and the discrete emotions that are felt in response to those potential consequences. However, such a measure is not likely to capture the perceived probability of experiencing the outcomes, nor will it be as useful at understanding one's motivation to take mitigation action.

Action (physics) · Cognitive psychology · Computer security · Construct (python library) · Data mining · Dimension (graph theory) · Hazard · Measure (data warehouse) · Perception · Risk analysis (engineering) · Risk assessment · Risk perception · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Computer Science · Disaster Management and Resilience · Mathematics · Medicine · Psychology · Risk Perception and Management · Social Psychology